Horween Shell Cordovan- Vintage Side Stitch- Horween #8-20mm

Description

If you ask me, these are the finest straps in the land. I’m wearing one now.

If you own one, or have a pair of Alden or Allen Edmonds shoes, you’re probably familiar with Horween Shell leathers already. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, well then, lets just say that this leather is life changing. Here’s a nice piece from Gentleman’s Gazette that explains just what a “shell” is (hint: it’s actually a membrane found in horse hide), and takes you through the 6 month long process that the Horween Leather Company of Chicago uses to produce this incredible leather.

But that’s just the leather…

The straps themselves are hand made in the USA by one of the finest leather workers that I know. Think about this for a second: a natural product, hand made into a watch strap. There’s going to be variability not only from batch to batch of the leather, but also from individual strap to strap. So enjoy the product photos, but if you’re looking for a cookie cutter strap made on a machine in China, this isn’t for you.

Here’s why I love these straps so much: they are one of the most hard-wearing, durable and elegant straps on the market. These simple, unpadded straps can be dressed up or down. From a Black Tie event to a casual afternoon, you’ll have to switch from your dress watch to your vintage chronograph, but you won’t have to switch your strap.

They’re more expensive, yes, but you’re getting what you pay for. This leather will likely outlast three of those machine made straps, and the comfort and patina that these develop on the wrist is quite lovely–there’s a reason some of the world’s finest shoes are made from this stuff.